Turning to Television While Sheltering at Home by Mindi Snyder

I don’t think I need to mention that the past month has been really hard on all of us. We are dealing with some scary times, and when the news is consistently so depressing I, like many of you, turn to horror as an escape. Unfortunately, I’m finding that while I’m still enjoying reading horror, I’m having a bit of a hard time concentrating on books on the way I did before I started sheltering at home. Recently I’ve found myself watching a lot more television, and once again I’m finding that horror TV is a great distraction. Here are a few shows that are all available right now to binge so that you can spend some time away from the anxiety and stress of the real world.

Castle Rock Season 2 - Quite a few fans of everything Stephen King enjoyed the first season, and I’m liking this season’s story even better. This is an origin story for Annie Wilkes, but it also, much like Season 1, incorporates other aspects of King’s stories into the plot. For example, there’s a very famous house that comes into play in episode 2. And I defy anyone to say that they could predict what happens at the end of episode 1. My husband and I both jumped and yelled “Oh!” at the television. This is definitely a series that keeps you on your toes. And as far as the origin of Annie, this Constant Reader finds it to be spot on. However, It’s a heavy hour of television, so it’s hard to binge. I’ve found it’s best to watch an episode every couple of days. I’m now fully invested and more than halfway done. - Available on Hulu

The Outsider - Speaking of Stephen King, HBO recently adapted one of King’s newest novels to the small screen. Everything about this series was thoroughly thought out, and it shows. The casting is dead-on, and for the most part, the story stays pretty close to the novel. Of course, there are always differences that have to happen when you translate from page to screen, but the changes that were made fit perfectly into the television universe HBO created, and I loved every moment. This is a must-watch for every Constant Reader, and one of the best Stephen King adaptations out there. - Available on HBO

You Seasons 1 and 2 - Most fans have probably already binged both of these by now, but for a period of time I got way behind on the shows I watch, and it’s taking me a little longer to finish this series. Season 2 goes in a very different direction than the book, but the basic story is still intact. I’m actually a big fan of the second book, Hidden Bodies, so it’s a little jarring to see the story veer off into such a different direction. I admit I haven’t yet finished season 2, but I fully intend to go back and pick up where I left off. I think fans of the books will enjoy both seasons. - Available on Netflix

Locke & Key - This adaptation of the fantastic graphic novel series by Joe Hill is more Fantasy or Horror Lite, but it’s still fun to see Key House come to life onscreen. Hardcore fans of the books were really hoping for this story to go in a darker direction like the graphic novels, but instead, the series is more whimsical than scary. A few episodes in I started to get a little bit of a Harry Potter vibe, and that made me wonder if Netflix wanted to market this one more to the younger crowd since the three main characters are all kids. This is another series that I paused in order to start something else, and truthfully I’m not sure I will continue to watch. But if you are looking for something a little more kid-friendly while sheltering at home, this one definitely works. - Available on Netflix

What We Do in the Shadows Season 1 - The amazing television series that’s based on the even more amazing movie of the same name by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi follows 4 vampires around New York City rather than New Zealand, but the vibe of the movie is still there since both Clement and Waititi are both involved in making the adaptation. It’s just as laugh out loud funny as the film, and you are just in time to binge this one because season 2 starts on April 15th at 10/9 C on FX. I can’t wait to watch! - Season 1 is available on Hulu right now.